Someone may owe you money

So fire up your computer and get ready to find out who owes you, and how to claim it.

I found out last week, and now have two checks coming to me from the New York State Comptroller's Office. I have no idea how much, because apparently New York doesn't give out that information.

All I know is I have a refund from a power company I'd forgotten all about, and something due from a life insurance company I never heard of.

And I haven't lived in New York in more than 15 years.

I was inspired to search for unclaimed cash when ABC's Good Morning America ran a special segment stating there's billions of dollars lying around at state and federal agencies waiting for the rightful owners to raise their hands.

Truth is, I was dubious. Easy money seems like such an oxymoron to me.

And I've written too many times about law enforcement agencies reeling in deadbeat parents or wanted felons by posing as lottery money distributors, or offering fabulous vacation giveaways, to take "free" anything at face value.

But I figured I had nothing to lose by checking it out. Very carefully.

I clicked on the website, searched all the states where I've ever lived and found the two accounts in New York. It took all of a minute to click through and apply for the money online. (Some states, however, want you to apply through the mail.) The state site said to expect the checks within 30 days.

And that's it.

My listings are just two out of 117 million in limbo across the country. Utility rebates, security deposits, dormant bank accounts, life insurance refunds, overtime checks — it could be anything.

According to the U.S. Treasury, every year about 25,000 payments are returned to them as undeliverable. So the money sits, doing nobody any good, especially the rightful owners or their heirs.

Whenever a bank, business or agency owes you money but can't locate you, it's required to turn it over to the state for safekeeping. Most states keep any interest it earns, although Virginia now pays interest.

On Sunday, the Daily Press carried a special insert from our state treasurer listing the names of Virginians with abandoned personal property on file with them — money, stocks, bonds, dividends, utility deposits, insurance proceeds and tangible property.

The insert also included a form to fill out and mail in case you don't have internet access.

Curious to see if my minor windfall was a fluke, I asked colleagues here at the Daily Press to check it out, too.

Within minutes, I was hearing back from them about money owed them or their relatives:

A cable company refund under $100, a $69 insurance rebate in Ohio. A stepmother owed more than $100 from a college loan service in Minnesota, a brother owed $50-$100 for insurance proceeds in Oregon. Under $100 from a media company in Pennsylvania.

One woman plugged in the names of half a dozen family members and was "stunned" at the flood of results. She e-mailed them at once with the good news.

Some states tell you exactly what you're owed, while others give you some indication, for instance if it's under or over $100. As I mentioned, New York doesn't.

I figure the power company rebate will buy me a pizza. With any luck, the life insurance money will net me a DVD.